China's 60th anniversary of Communism: public barred from parade

Any thoughts that a spontaneous, flag-waving crowd might gather to cheer on the 180,000 marchers as they process through Beijing's Tiananmen Square have been scotched by security fears ahead of Thursday's anniversary.

"People who can go to watch the parade are invited guests with tickets," said Ji Lin, the vice-mayor of Beijing, "For other citizens the parade will be screened live and the citizens can watch it via TV."

More than 850,000 volunteers, easily identified in Beijing by their red armbands, have been mobilised to maintain security ahead of the parade, which will show-off some of China's most advanced military hardware to the watching world.

They will be followed by a "gala parade" of 60 floats celebrating the achievements of modern China on the themes of "progressing with my motherland, strive for the modernization, reform and opening-up to outside world, scientific development, brilliant achievement, beautiful China and prosperous future".